Race to get even more cash to fix potholes

Going over a pothole can seriously damage the car.''Photo by Louise Adams C130023-4 Mid Potholes ENGSUS00120130801165308

Published:07:00Wednesday 07 May 2014

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EVEN more money could be pumped into fixing the pothole ‘menace’ dotted across West Sussex’s roads.

Hot on the heels of launching its £30m Better Roads project earlier this month, the county council has also confirmed the receipt of £3.6m from the Department for Transport for spending on roads damaged by winter weather.

And in other bids for further funds, it has announced its intention to target cash from a separate pot of £168m on offer to all local authorities from the government, which is specifically available for pothole repairs.

The £168m was first revealed by the chancellor in his budget speech and on Thursday a statement was released by the Department for Transport.

Secretary of state Patrick McLoughlin said: “Part of this government’s long-term plan is investing in our roads.

“Potholes are a menace for all road-users which is why this extra funding is provided in addition to the £10bn already committed for councils for road maintenance.

“I want councils to rise to the challenge and to reward councils who come up with new and better ways of making repairs quickly and effectively.

“With this new pothole fund, councils will need to clearly set out the scale of the work they are doing, and local communities can have certainty that the money is being spent fixing potholes on their local roads.”

West Sussex County Council confirmed it was submitting an application for a share of the £168m.

The additional funds and the potential promise of more should come as welcome relief for West Sussex residents and councillors.

Elected members have been besieged by people complaining about potholes in the past year, with many of the county’s roads suffering the effects of the weather.

Out of the £3.6m mentioned earlier, £200,000 is going towards pothole patrols and the remainder looks set to be spent on dealing with specific problems in places throughout the county.

The county council’s Better Roads programme has also been launched, with £30m being spent on rural and residential roads, in response to the frustrations of residents.

The county council also has a website dedicated for people to report pothole problems, which it will then in turn endeavour to fix. Visit the Love West Sussex website http://love.westsussex.gov.uk/reports to find out more.